The Queens of New York

Ages 13 And Up, Grades 8 And Up

Perfect for fans of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, this sun-drenched, cinematic contemporary YA novel follows three inseparable best friends as they navigate first love, grief, and racism during one life-changing summer apart.

Jia Lee, Ariel Kim, and Everett Hoang have been best friends since they met at a Lunar New Year festival when they were seven years old. Now seventeen, they’re inseparable. The only thing is, they won’t be together this summer. Everett, aspiring Broadway star, hopes to nab the lead role in an Ohio theater production but soon realizes that talent and drive can only get her so far. Brainy Ariel is flying to San Francisco for a prestigious STEM scholarship, even though her heart is in South Korea, where her sister died last year. And Jia—stable, solid Jia—will be home in Flushing, Queens, juggling her parents’ Chinatown restaurant, a cute new neighbor, and dreams for an uncertain future. As the girls navigate heartbreaking surprises and shocking self-discoveries, they lean on each other and realize that even though they’re physically apart, they are still mighty together.

About the Author

E. L. Shen is an author and editor whose family immigrated to Flushing, Queens, many years ago. She attended Barnard College of Columbia University and received a bachelor of arts in English with a concentration in creative writing. Her debut novel, The Comeback (Farrar, Straus and Giroux Books for Young Readers 2021), was praised in the New York Times for its “fast-paced prose and authentic dialogue.” The Queens of New York is her first book for teens. E. L. Shen lives in Brooklyn, NY, and you can learn more at elshenwrites.com.